Wrap my heart up for Christmas
by LadyNightRunner
Summary: Cloud reveals a little bit of his soul to Vincent, who vows to act on it. All Cloud wants is to have Sephiroth back. Isn't Christmas a time of miracles? CloudSephiroth, and some mild VincentCid


Okay, before all of you bite my head off for writing ANOTHER story when I've got all the others to do...this is one of a couple special holiday fics. C'mon people, it's Christmas! Enjoy this, and the others, assuming I get them up before the holidays swamp me! Numaire!

* * *

In the weeks following the Jenova incident, Cloud began to change. Vincent was the only one who truly noticed. Outwardly, the blonde was cheerful and friendly. He always had time to play with Denzel and Marlene, was always willing to help out. When he was alone however…he sat by himself, often on the roof, and stared off into space.

Vincent joined him one evening. The moon was ¾ full, casting silver light over everything. Vincent settled comfortably on the roof beside Cloud, waiting for him to speak. Eventually, he did.

"I didn't think you'd find me up here."

"Where else would you be? Roofs are a good place to brood."

"You would know." Cloud murmured, and Vincent smiled slightly. Heaven knew the gang had given him grief over his habits.

"Care to tell me what the trouble is?"

"Why do you care?"

"You're young, Cloud. You shouldn't be seeking solitude in which to brood on dark thoughts."

"Poetic."

"Not intentionally. Tell me." Cloud hesitated. "You know I can keep a secret."

"Sephiroth." He murmured. "It's Sephiroth."

"What about him?"

"I killed him."

"And?" Vincent prodded.

"Three times." Cloud whispered. "At the reactor, in the crater, and on the roof."

"There's something you haven't told us about him, isn't there?" Vincent asked. Cloud nodded. His eyes were overbright, a warning of possible tears. "What?"

"We were…he and I…back before…before…"

"Before Nibelhiem?"

"Yeah. B-before Nibelhiem. When he was still the General and I was a cadet trying to get into SOLDIER…" Cloud sniffled. He scooted a little closer to Vincent. The gunman hesitated, then put an arm around Cloud, who leaned into him. "I've _always _been short…all the others in my troop made fun of me."

"Go on." Vincent murmured.

"One evening…some of the older guys were making fun of me. They put me in a locker…stuff like that. Then Sephiroth…he was looking for something, he said…he came, and got me out…told the others they had no right to treat me that way…" Cloud paused, furiously rubbing tears away. "This probably makes no sense."

"On the contrary. I understand quite well. Continue."

"The guys…they wanted to know why Sephiroth cared about one cadet…he said that just one can make all th difference, and he pushed me behind him. The others, well, they started saying things…that I was his toy…Sephiroth asked what they would do if I _was_. They said they'd leave me alone, and then told him to prove it…" By this time, no amount of rubbing could conceal the tears running down Cloud's cheeks. They glittered in the moonlight. Vincent wondered when the last time was that he'd listened to another man spill the contents of his heart. It had to have been…back when he was still a Turk. Yes, there had been a new recruit…the trip via boat to Wutai had been a long one, and Vincent had been ordered to take the boy under his wing for a time. They'd gotten along well. Then he was shot in the stomach.

Vincent held him for the entire 20 minutes it took for the youth to die. In that time, he told Vincent about _everything._ A man's life, compressed into 20 minutes of pain and words.

"S-sephiroth turned around and pushed me against a locker…but he was _gentle_ about it…and he kissed me. I liked it, and I kissed back. The others left…Sephiroth sort of carried me to his quarters, because we didn't want to stop…he told me he loved me two weeks later."

"And then you killed him." Vincent finished. "And I take it you feel guilty?" Cloud nodded.

"And I _miss_ him. It's so hard to start over _again._ He's come back twice, and I've killed him, but I still love him."

"You always will. That's the way love is. It finds a space in your heart, takes root, and stays there. Making it grow again in hard."

"I _can't_!" Cloud wailed. "No one can replace him!" The tears turned into loud sobs, and Cloud tried to hide them in Vincent's shoulder. Vincent let him do it. It was good to get the pressure off his chest, even if doing so hurt.

"You don't have to replace it." Vincent murmured softly. "Just…re-configure it. And never truly forget."

"_You_ should talk." Cloud muttered and Vincent gave in to the urge to bonk the blonde on the head. "Ow!"

"I'm working on it. Maybe not throwing myself into it again, but I'm getting somewhere…slowly."

"It's just…I want _him_." Cloud's tears had stopped now, though he still clung to Vincent.

"I know."

"On a lighter note, why _haven't_ you thrown yourself back into the dating pool?" Vincent didn't bother to contain the crooked grin and smart-aleck response.

"I can't swim."

The conversation weighed heavily on his mind over the next week or so. Especially the last bit. While the so-called 'dating pool' was out of the question, there was one individual who had caught Vincent's attentions.

Only recently had he begun to really appreciate Cid Highwind. There was so _much_ packed into the short, muscular frame! His accent, for one, absolutely fascinated Vincent. Then there was the way he moved; graceful but in a strong way that reminded him of a wolf; for Cid made no attempt at hiding it. The blue eyes, prone to change as quickly as the sky they mimicked, and the scruffy blonde hair like so much late afternoon sunshine…there was much more…to say nothing of the _rest_ of his body. Vincent resolved to pursue his affections.

Cid, on the other hand, was only now realizing how attractive his friend was. With the hair, and the eyes…if it weren't for his broad shoulders and height, Vincent could be accused of being feminine. As it was, he became something of a dream, which Cid firmly decided to chase until he caught it.

One afternoon, Vincent was helping Cid fix the wiring for 7th Heaven. They were assisted by Marlene, and supervised by Tifa. Up until this point, Vincent had been working on tasks too high for Cid to reach, but his significantly longer reach was required. That was where the trouble started.

Cid was fully aware of the fact that Vincent favored leather pants. What he _wasn't_ aware of was just how _tight_ the leather was pulled when the wearer crouched. Or the fact that the leather was pulled tight over what had to be _the_ most gorgeous rear end in the history of the Planet. And, Cid being Cid, he proceeded to do the first thing that came to mind: he groped it.

The result was nothing short of spectacular. Vincent yelped and spun, straightening as he did so. Cid tried to avoid the pliers swinging in Vincent's hold, tripped over his own feet, and fell. Vincent's momentum threw him off balance, resulting on a hard landing directly on top of Cid. Marline giggled. Tifa eyed the tangled limbs, wondering if it was safe to approach.

For a moment, Vincent just stared. Here was Cid Highwind, sprawled on the floor underneath him, panting. A pretty blush brought color to his face. And those lips looked so…_inviting._ Firmly ignoring Chaos's commentary, Vincent leaned down and kissed the pilot.

Tifa gasped, then grabbed Marlene and covered her eyes. Not only was Vincent kissing Cid, cid was kissing back! Choosing not to question the sudden actions of both men, Tifa carried Marlene out to the room as quickly as possible.

It was this utterly unspoken conversation that turned two men's worlds upside-down. It also shed new light on Cloud's position on Sephiroth. Vincent suddenly found that, should anything happen to Cid, he would do anything to have him back. That, or he would go quietly insane and retreat into himself, the way Cloud did. He really understood now, and he wished there was something he could do about it.

December arrived in a snowstorm that deposited nearly a foot of snow on the city. By the 2nd week of the month, a little over 3 feet of cold white stuff blanketed everything. It was a time to be spent with loved one, something Vincent sincerely enjoyed. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing better than a mug of hot apple cider, a good book and a warm Cid waiting in front of a roaring fire. However, the heat of the oven on the Highwind and a fresh batch of walnut browning to share came in a close second.

Cloud sulked even more that winter. When the weather confined him to the house, he locked himself in his room. Other times, he vanished, often not returning until after dark. This behavior was what drove Vincent into the old cathedral one evening. He sat down beside the pond and began to talk.

At first he just touched on Cloud's loneliness, unsure of how to word it. Then he just talked, explaining Cloud and his feelings the way he'd never spoken of his own. The cathedral was silent, as if listening to him speak. It was almost hypnotic in its silence, and it was because of this that Aerith's appearance startled him.

"You make a good argument." She said.

"And you're far too quiet."

"Does he really want Sephiroth back?"

"Yes. More than anything." Aerith sighed heavily.

"Do you have a Christmas gift for him yet?"

"Who? Cloud? No, I don't."

"Then I'll give you one. Just don't mention me when he gets it, okay?"

"Uh…sure. Wait, what gift?" It was too late. The Cetra girl had vanished.

The water of the pool rippled, then the calm surface was broken by a surge of silver hair and pale skin. Sephiroth dragged himself out of the water and lay there, panting, then rolled over and began to cough, then vomit. His system was rejecting the holy water. Vincent waited until he was done, then pulled him clear of the pool. Shivering, Sephiroth huddled against him.

"Sephiroth?" Vincent asked.

"C-cloud. Where is he?"

"Out." Vincent shrugged his cape off and covered Sephiroth with it, then pulled out his phone.

"Highwind."

"Cid, I need you to meet me at the cathedral. Bring a change of clothes for me, my extra boots, a blanket an be quick about it."  
"Sure thing." Cid wasn't at all bothered by Vincent's request.

"I came for Cloud. Why isn't he here?" Sephiroth was quite close to whining.

"I asked for you."

"_You?_ You hate me, Valentine."

"I may not like you, but Cloud misses you, and I hate to see him like this. But, start anything and you _will _regret it." Vincent growled.

Cid arrived ten minutes later, carrying an old-fashioned rucksack, which he dropped when he saw Sephiroth.

"Ohmyf – Vin, that's – he's – shit, we're gonna – Tifa's gonna murder me." Cid stammered. Vincent chuckled, and took the bad. He handed the clothes to Sephiroth.

"Put those on." He said. While the former General complied, Vincent turned back to Cid. "Questions?"

"_Where_ did _he_ come from?"

"Aerith brought him back…for Cloud." Cid blinked.

"Now, why would Cloud need or want him?"

"They're like us, Cid. Together, and Cloud's had to kill him three times. _Three_ times. I found Cloud on the roof this fall, and he told me. I came here tonight to tell…the Planet, I suppose, but it ended up being Aerith, and to ask how I could make Cloud smile again. Sephiroth was the answer." Vincent explained. Cid stared at him for a moment, then smiled and wrapped his arms around Vincent in a tight hug.

"You never cease to amaze me. But one a' these days, yer gonna have to let me do the amazin'."

"Of course."

Getting Sephiroth to the Sierra was relatively easy, once Vincent resigned himself to carrying an exhausted Sephiroth on his back. The former General was tucked into bed and left to sleep off the mild case of Mako poisoning, while Vincent and Cid discussed how to keep Sephiroth hidden until Christmas, why the Sierra was the only place to hide him, and when it was _not_ appropriate to bite (Cid was the one who got bitten).

Sephiroth slept for two days straight. After this, he devoted his time to exploring the Sierra. Vincent had explained that he was to be Cloud's Christmas gift, and Sephiroth agreed, on the condition that Cid not be allowed within ten feet of him with anything remotely resembling ribbon. Meanwhile, Vincent and Cid debated the best way to present Sephiroth.

Christmas arrived with another gentle snowfall that persisted all day. Inside 7th Heaven, a party was in full swing. Marlene and Denzel had gone to bed, and the adults were messing around. Cloud stood to one side, watching Tseng dance with Yuffie (special request) and nursing a cup of cider.

"Cloud, could you come with me?" Cloud jumped, as he hadn't heard Vincent approach.

"What is it?" he asked, obediently following Vincent into the kitchen.

"Cid and I saved our gift for you until now. We thought you might like it a little late."

Cloud looked around the kitchen in confusion. There wasn't anything here that he could see.

"Vincent, I don't s-," he stopped, completely forgetting what he was about to say. Sephiroth stepped through the back door, kicking off his boots and brushing snowflakes out of his hair. Cloud stared. Sephiroth took off his jacket and stood there in a dark green turtleneck and black jeans, smiling slightly.

"Merry Christmas, Cloud." He whispered.

"_Sephiroth_." Cloud breathed. He spun around to face Vincent and Cid, who had left the party to watch Cloud, and looked like he couldn't decide if he should laugh or cry. "You _found_ him…you really…thank you so much." He stammered.

"Go on, kid." Cid said, making shooing motions at the blonde. "He's all yours." Cloud needed no second bidding. He threw himself at Sephiroth, who caught and held him with practiced ease.

"You're _back_."

"I am. And I'm not leaving this time."

Cid grinned and leaned into Vincent's arms. "That's what I call success." He said proudly. "I don't think I've ever seen either one of them so happy."

"Neither have I." Vincent agreed. Cid looked up and grinned. "What?"

"Mistletoe." He answered, pointing. Sure enough, there was. Vincent pulled Cid into a kiss, and over by the door, Sephiroth and Cloud did the same.

"Merry Christmas, Cid."


End file.
